


Clean Breaks and a Lack of Grace

by ComicBooksBro



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Croatoan/Endverse (Supernatural), Angst, Castiel Feels (Supernatural), Castiel Needs a Hug (Supernatural), Gen, Newly Human Castiel (Supernatural), no beta we die like dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28823607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComicBooksBro/pseuds/ComicBooksBro
Summary: In which a newly human Cas goes on his first mission since falling, and Dean breaks an arm.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Could Be Read as Castiel/Dean Winchester, Endverse Castiel & Endverse Dean Winchester, Endverse Castiel/Endverse Dean Winchester
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Clean Breaks and a Lack of Grace

**Author's Note:**

> *taps mic*  
> -ahem-  
> This fic is dedicated to my dear friend who recently started watching spn and hit me smack in the face with this plot bunny a few days ago. If you are that friend and have somehow managed to find this, no you didn’t 💙, but also, you have good taste.

Dean is mid-swing with a machete when he hears Cas’ panicked shout. His dull blade strikes home, and a croat loses its head, but Dean’s focus isn’t on that anymore. It’s on the other side of the wrecked gas station he and his team are in the middle of combing through, on Cas.

Cas is backed up against a gas pump, gun shaking in his hands as a croat approaches him. It’s the biggest of the lot, because of course it is, and Cas can’t catch a break. It’s his first time on a run since he has become human, and he looks petrified.

Without a second thought, Dean sprints across the potholed parking lot and bodyslams the croat from the side. It topples over, and Dean drives his knife into its neck. Choking, it grabs tightly onto Dean’s forearm, and jerks it entirely the wrong way.

Dean knows something’s wrong before he hears the splintery crack of bone. He growls and grits his teeth against the sudden, burning pain in his arm as the croat howls in pain under him. Emotionless, Dean grips the knife in his left hand, and jerks it around until the croat stops moving. It’s messy, but the thing is dead, and Cas is safe, which is what matters.

Blood, red and sticky, soaks into the cracked concrete and the knees of Dean’s worn out jeans. Grimacing, Dean stands and limps over to Cas. “Hey, you okay?”

Shaken, Cas nods minutely and holsters his gun. He pales slightly at the sight of Dean’s crooked arm. It’s bruising quickly, and purple-blue blotching is easily visible through the sleeve of Dean’s shredded flannel.

“Your arm,” Cas says softly, looking like he feels every bit of pain Dean is in.

“It’s nothing,” Dean huffs, waving Cas off with his good arm. “I’m fine.” He turns away and starts back to the cars. The other croats are dead, which is a relief, but the mission is a bust. There’s almost nothing in the dilapidated Chevron, and everyone has already started packing up to leave.

“It’s broken,” Cas insists, grabbing Dean by the shoulder of his jacket.

Dean stops and turns back to Cas, a tired frown on his face. He doesn’t need Cas mother-henning him, he can handle this on his own——he’s done it before.

Cas reaches out and gently touches Dean’s injured arm with his fingertips. “I can——“ he cuts himself off and steps back, drawing into himself. “I can’t. I can’t help you.”

Cas looks so tiny in his oversized jacket——small and scared——nothing like the intimidating warrior of god he had been before.

He looks human.

Human, tired, and almost on the verge of tears. He’s breathing just too fast for it to be normal, and his eyes are dark with guilt. His mouth moves, and Dean can’t hear the words, but he still knows what Cas is whispering to himself over and over.

_“I can’t save you. I can’t save anyone.”_

“Cas,” Dean says, trying to keep his voice even, despite the thorny pain lancing through his broken arm. “Cas, look at me.”

Cas blinks up at Dean, body tense and fists clenched around the cuffs of his jacket.

“I’m fine. You can worry later, but right now, we need to get back to Chitaqua before more Croats catch up to us.” He jerks his head in the direction of the small fleet of cars parked at the edge of the gas station parking lot. “C’mon.”

Cas steps forward, his legs shaky, and hesitates again. Dean can read the fear in his eyes, and decides to meet Cas halfway. Trying to act like he hasn’t just had his arm broken, Dean pulls Cas into as non-awkward a hug as he can. His arm twinges a bit, particularly when Cas hugs back——really more like he clings to Dean like he’s scared something is going to rip them apart imminently——but it’s okay.

Hurting a little is better than Cas having a breakdown any day.

“It’s okay,” he mutters into Cas’ dark, messy hair. “We’re gonna fix this.”

The words are empty, though, and Dean knows it. He’s tried to fix things until he passes out, but nothing ever changes. They’re not even holding the line anymore, just sliding backwards slowly.

But Dean can fake optimism. He’s done it his entire life, and he can do it until the devil kills him.

“We’re gonna fix this.”

He can pretend a little longer. For Cas.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)  
> Comments and kudos appreciated!


End file.
